MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a tranquil start to 2025, describing the New Year’s celebrations as ‘generally and relatively peaceful’ with no major incidents. PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo shared that as of 6 a.m. on January 1, the country had experienced a peaceful transition into the new year, with no significant disturbances reported. However, the police recorded 1,360 cases related to the illegal possession, use, and sale of firecrackers.
Fajardo detailed that the police had seized 593,094 illegal firecrackers, valued at approximately PHP3,922,678, and arrested 73 individuals. Additionally, there were 27 reported cases of indiscriminate firing, leading to five injuries, with 21 people apprehended and 17 firearms confiscated. Among those arrested, 18 were civilians, while the others included a security guard, a police officer from Calabarzon, and a Bureau of Corrections officer from Zamboanga Peninsula.
The PNP also reported six injuries from stray bullets, 297 injuries related to firecrackers, and one death caused by firecrackers. Fajardo noted an increase in indiscriminate firing cases from last year’s 20 to this year’s 27, although the number of injuries decreased from seven to five.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil had previously instructed all police units to focus on public safety during the New Year festivities.
In Metro Manila, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported a significant decrease in fire incidents compared to the previous year. BFP spokesperson Fire Senior Supt. Annalee Carbajal-Atienza stated that officially, only one fire incident was reported on January 1, 2025, a stark contrast to the 54 incidents reported the previous year. Unofficially, nine fire incidents were noted in the National Capital Region between 12:17 a.m. and 5:21 a.m. The causes of these fires are still under investigation by the BFP.